Street artists, such as Eric Johnson and Alex Smith, often use buildings as a medium for their art. All photos by Mary Beth McCauley • The Daily Beacon
Street artists show life on other side of spray can Mary Beth McCauley Contributor
This is a critical season for the men’s and women’s teams. Check inside for position breakdowns, projections and much more! >> See page 1B Volume 132 Issue 56
Whether you’re walking around Market Square, driving down the interstate, attending a concert in the Old City or strolling through campus, there is one thing that passersby can typically find: street art. This special brand of art can look a thousand different ways and can be found in a thousand different places, most of them hidden in plain sight. Art Alley, a well-known street art hotspot in Market Square, has walls covered in intricate portraits, depictions of pop culture and inspiring quotes. The Rock is another street art staple that nearly every student at UT is familiar with. Graffiti of all kinds can be found scattered amongst buildings, dump-
sters and brick walls. Street art is a selfless medium in a sense because artists can’t always take credit for their work, depending on if the placement of their art is legal or not. Though these artists sometimes live in the shadows, there are several street artists in Knoxville who openly share their work, their passion for art and their identities. Eric Johnson, a tattoo artist at Hard Knox Tattoo, has been a street artist in Knoxville for almost 22 years. His work can be seen throughout the Fort and South Knoxville. “I don’t do illegal painting anymore, but I used to,” Johnson said. “Now I do a lot of legal spots around Knoxville. I’ve recently done art for a couple of vapor shops around here like Broadway Vapors and Vapor Trails on Chapman Highway.” Sometimes, street art is a source of
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income for artists. Johnson is currently working on a large, commissioned nautical piece on the exterior wall of Office Furniture Outfitters, a local business located on 17th Street. “I showed the owner a drawing to see if he liked my art,” Johnson said. “He pretty much just gave me free reign. I’m doing this piece for free, but I hope to sell some pieces because of this one.” This kind of art isn’t always done for profit though. Another local street artist, Alex Smith, creates street art because he enjoys it. Much of his art, however, has been taken down. “It gets buffed too quickly around here. I had some slaps on mailboxes and such, but it’s all been removed,” Smith said. See STREET ART on Page 2
Thursday, November 10, 2016